(Jan 13): Startup JetZero Inc has raised US$175 million (RM709.8 million) from investors to take on the planemaking duopoly of Airbus SE and Boeing Co with a mid-sized aircraft shaped like a giant manta ray. The Series B financing, led by venture investor B Capital, takes the total amount raised to more than US$1 billion including government grants, incentives and commercial commitments, JetZero said. United Airlines Ventures, Northrop Grumman Corp, 3M Ventures and RTX Ventures all participated in the latest funding round. The blended-wing-body concept was refined over several decades by co-founder Mark Page at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, with around US$1 billion in funding from Nasa, according to the company. And O’Leary’s set an ambitious goal: beginning commercial service by the early 2030s, years ahead of the next all-new designs by Airbus and Boeing.

Source: The Edge Markets January 13, 2026 12:39 UTC